ANGELA Rayner and Penny Mordaunt launched into several fierce clashes in their debate last night.
Their tense rows included divides over nuclear weapons, immigration, NHS and the economy, taxes, and net zero.
The Deputy Labour leader and Commons Leader went head-to-head during the explosive BBC election debate.
The debate was hosted by presenter Mishal Husain and featured five other parties, including Reform's Nigel Farage and the SNP's Stephen Flynn.
And despite the other politicos on the stage, the main action centred around the two parties most likely to form the government.
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NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Mordaunt nuked Labour's front bench as having no credibility on defence after voting to abolish Trident.
The deputy Labour leader had previously voted to end the maintenance of subs in 2016.
Mordaunt claimed if Labour were elected the "deterrent" effect of nukes would be rendered useless - a gift to Vladimir Putin.
The former leader of the House of Commons said: "It's too late for this generation of Labour politicians."
Rayner retorted by slamming the Tories as being the party that "have cut the armed forces, crashed the economy, and left us in a real mess."
She said Keir Starmer and herself had been clear that Labour would keep the deterrent and continue to invest in it.
"Labour is committed to the triple lock on nuclear deterrent... we will have a commitment to the 2.5 per cent spending of GDP."
IMMIGRATION
Mordaunt also went after Rayner for having "no plan, no target and no clue" on how to bring down migration.
Firebrand Rayner was put on the defence over claims her party doesn't want to tackle the number of migrants coming to Britain.
Mourdant hit out, saying: "Keir Starmer spent most of his life campaigning for free movement.
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"These people do not want to control migration."
She said that numbers were now "too high" and the Tories would bring in an annual cap on migrants to bring the numbers down.
Rayner clipped back on the Tories' record: "I love the spin on that, 14 years and you've trebled net migration figures."
Rayner said that, while her party will stop Rwanda flights taking off, they will also pump money into a "border force command" to "smash the people smuggler gangs".
She said: "14 years of the Conservatives, they're reliant of overseas [migration] to fill our skill shortages."
NHS AND THE ECONOMY
Discussion about the treasured NHS was tied to the economy and how the government could afford to make it work better.
Mourdant said that Britain's strong economy under the Tories mean that "public spending is going to go up and for the NHS very substantially".
She also attacked Welsh Labour's handling of the NHS saying the party had cut the budget there.
Mourdant said: "That's why there waiting lists are four times longer than they are in England."
Rayner blasted the damage that Liz Truss had wrought on the economy following her disastrous mini budget and got a clap from the audience.
She said: "You've just said we need a strong economy but you backed Liz Truss, who crashed our economy and made people like me redundant."
"Far too many people in our older generation... they're on trolleys [in the hospital] for hours on end."
TAX SCRAP
Rayner and Mordaunt also engaged in a heated debate over housing and the cost of living crisis.
The pair continued to scrap over the contested £2,000 figure raised by Rishi Sunak in the leader's debate.
That two grand number is what the Tories allege Labour will increase taxes by as part of their plan for the economy.
But Labour denies it and a letter from the Treasury has cast over the Conservatives' claims.
Rayner said: "The cost of living, Liz Truss crashed the economy and we've been at the mercy of the global energy crisis.
"Labour's first plan is to secure to economy, we will never go fast and lose with public finances."
She spoke about the publicly owned energy company in their proposal which will "give taxpayers money back and create thousands of jobs back into the UK."
Penny responded to the viewers question about how the party can help the lives of working people and said: "What you've been going through is exhausting and we need to bring it to an end.
"This election must be about us cutting your taxes. We have got to cut peoples taxes and alleviate burdens on business.
"Angela Rayner and the Labour party, and Keir Starmer confirmed this earlier this week, are going to put up your taxes by £2,000."
Penny insisted the UK economy is "doing much better" and outgrowing the US.
She added: "The PM made very clear promises. We are making process, the recovery is there. We must ensure this is not chocked off. We must ensure your taxes are lowered.
"You need disposable income in your pockets, you need your taxes to be cut.
"That’s in our DNA as Conservatives, that’s not in Labour’s DNA.
"Angela mentioned GB energy, you know what that stands for? Giant Bills."
NET ZERO
Mordaunt blasted the Labour party again for their Great British Energy plans.
"If they get in you won't be able to buy a petrol car," she fired.
"If your boiler goes you'll have to spend tens of thousands of pounds on a heating pumps and other things to convert your home.
"My constituents can't afford that."
Rayner chimed in: "Because of your policies."
The wannabe Tory leader continued: "This is a company your money is going to be put into, that doesn't produce any energy.
"This is the insanity of Labour's policy, they're expecting a load of people to invest in oil and gas - at the same time saying they're not going to expand the sector.
"And the final thing. If you do this too fast all you do is destroy our supply chain."
Rayner again interrupted and jibed: "You have been."
She continued: "Its astonishing because the Tories have been in power now for 14 years and they haven't had an industrial strategy or manufacturing sector in the UK that is about creating-"
Mordaunt cut in once again and demanded to know: "How much energy will it produce?"
"We've just listened to you Penny," retorted Rayner.
"GBE will be owned by the UK taxpayers that will bring clean energy, bring down bills," she added.
"We've heard from them for 14 years they would do something for skills and manufacturing. They constantly spout lies, when the reason is they're 14 years an abstract failure. You have failed the British people and people can see that."
Mordaunt spoke over Rayner and blasted: "You currently can't afford to pay for them, that's where that £2,000 comes from."
